the night before
whispered to me, all his reasons and the truths behind his actions.
I pushed them down. No matter what Jed said, I still had plenty of
reasons to be angry with him. He hadn’t been there for me when I
needed him. He hadn’t kissed me back. Okay, so maybe that bit of
rejection was the only reason I had left to be angry at him, and I
knew it wasn’t fair. He couldn’t help it if he wasn’t attracted to
me, but I needed to be angry and that was as good a reason as
any.
I glared at Henry with the hurt and anger I
still felt toward Jed and stalked off into the woods, pulling my
camel back on as I walked. “Kelsey, wait,” Henry called after
me.
I kept walking. I suddenly didn’t want to be
around any of them. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want
to play nice with Wraith to get information from him. I just wanted
to be alone in the woods and walk until I couldn’t think, until my
heart couldn’t pound with fear anymore.
The woods smelled of dirt and decay and clean
air, and I breathed it in, smelling freedom. I wished, not for the
first time, that I had taken Jed up on his offer of a safe house
somewhere no one would find me. I could be living a normal life
away from werewolves and interventions, if I had just said yes. Of
course, Angelica might have been killed alongside Bruce, and
Briarton would probably now be ruled by reapers.
“I felt your panic and I came, but I see no
danger,” a small voice said.
I glanced over to see Alice walking next to
me. She looked like an eight-year-old, a kid out for a day of fun
in the sunshine, but she was actually a reaper who’d been around
for at least a hundred years. I’d known her since I was a kid, and
she had a habit of showing up when I was in danger. She didn’t meet
my eyes, but looked around for trouble. “I’m fine,” I said. “I’m
just a bit panicky for no good reason. Doctor Veronica says it’s
because of all the traumas I’ve experienced.”
Alice nodded. “Then I’ll go.”
“Hey, wait. I’ve got questions for you.” I
wanted to know how old she really was, and why she protected me.
I’d always thought of her as a timid, weak reaper who stayed hidden
from other reapers out of fear, but the last time I’d seen her,
she’d destroyed three powerful reapers in seconds.
“Ask when you see me again. When you see me
in the flesh.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, hoping it
didn’t mean what I thought it meant. Hoping she wasn’t planning to
reap someone.
Alice gave me her sweet little girl smile,
and vanished.
Wraith caught up to me a few moments later
and it took every ounce of energy I had to smile at him. “It’s a
beautiful day,” I said.
“And you’re a beautiful woman.” I swung my
head to look at him, surprised by his aggressive tone. He grinned.
I was back in baggy pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and I hadn’t
even put on Chap Stick that morning, so I was sure he was up to
something.
“It’s so peaceful here,” I said, a bit
envious of anyone who had mountains like those in their
backyard.
He looked out at the mountains and nodded,
his smile genuine.
“How long have you known Jeremiah?”
He chuckled. “You should trust your friend’s
judgment, and stop worrying.”
“I’m just trying to make conversation.”
“So let’s make it more interesting and skip
the small talk,” he said. “I hate small talk.”
“It’s a good way to get to know someone.” I
looked over my shoulder and saw Henry and Jed walking together, far
enough back not to overhear, and Jeremiah and Angelica another ten
paces or so behind them.
“It’s a horrible way to get to know someone,”
he said. “I know that you know I’m a wolf, and I know you’re a
powerful medium.”
I stumbled on an exposed tree root, but
Wraith caught me with a strong hand on my elbow. I shook him off
and faced him. “What?”
He smiled, clearly pleased with himself.
“Keep walking, or your friends will want to know
whispered to me, all his reasons and the truths behind his actions.
I pushed them down. No matter what Jed said, I still had plenty of
reasons to be angry with him. He hadn’t been there for me when I
needed him. He hadn’t kissed me back. Okay, so maybe that bit of
rejection was the only reason I had left to be angry at him, and I
knew it wasn’t fair. He couldn’t help it if he wasn’t attracted to
me, but I needed to be angry and that was as good a reason as
any.
I glared at Henry with the hurt and anger I
still felt toward Jed and stalked off into the woods, pulling my
camel back on as I walked. “Kelsey, wait,” Henry called after
me.
I kept walking. I suddenly didn’t want to be
around any of them. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want
to play nice with Wraith to get information from him. I just wanted
to be alone in the woods and walk until I couldn’t think, until my
heart couldn’t pound with fear anymore.
The woods smelled of dirt and decay and clean
air, and I breathed it in, smelling freedom. I wished, not for the
first time, that I had taken Jed up on his offer of a safe house
somewhere no one would find me. I could be living a normal life
away from werewolves and interventions, if I had just said yes. Of
course, Angelica might have been killed alongside Bruce, and
Briarton would probably now be ruled by reapers.
“I felt your panic and I came, but I see no
danger,” a small voice said.
I glanced over to see Alice walking next to
me. She looked like an eight-year-old, a kid out for a day of fun
in the sunshine, but she was actually a reaper who’d been around
for at least a hundred years. I’d known her since I was a kid, and
she had a habit of showing up when I was in danger. She didn’t meet
my eyes, but looked around for trouble. “I’m fine,” I said. “I’m
just a bit panicky for no good reason. Doctor Veronica says it’s
because of all the traumas I’ve experienced.”
Alice nodded. “Then I’ll go.”
“Hey, wait. I’ve got questions for you.” I
wanted to know how old she really was, and why she protected me.
I’d always thought of her as a timid, weak reaper who stayed hidden
from other reapers out of fear, but the last time I’d seen her,
she’d destroyed three powerful reapers in seconds.
“Ask when you see me again. When you see me
in the flesh.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, hoping it
didn’t mean what I thought it meant. Hoping she wasn’t planning to
reap someone.
Alice gave me her sweet little girl smile,
and vanished.
Wraith caught up to me a few moments later
and it took every ounce of energy I had to smile at him. “It’s a
beautiful day,” I said.
“And you’re a beautiful woman.” I swung my
head to look at him, surprised by his aggressive tone. He grinned.
I was back in baggy pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and I hadn’t
even put on Chap Stick that morning, so I was sure he was up to
something.
“It’s so peaceful here,” I said, a bit
envious of anyone who had mountains like those in their
backyard.
He looked out at the mountains and nodded,
his smile genuine.
“How long have you known Jeremiah?”
He chuckled. “You should trust your friend’s
judgment, and stop worrying.”
“I’m just trying to make conversation.”
“So let’s make it more interesting and skip
the small talk,” he said. “I hate small talk.”
“It’s a good way to get to know someone.” I
looked over my shoulder and saw Henry and Jed walking together, far
enough back not to overhear, and Jeremiah and Angelica another ten
paces or so behind them.
“It’s a horrible way to get to know someone,”
he said. “I know that you know I’m a wolf, and I know you’re a
powerful medium.”
I stumbled on an exposed tree root, but
Wraith caught me with a strong hand on my elbow. I shook him off
and faced him. “What?”
He smiled, clearly pleased with himself.
“Keep walking, or your friends will want to know
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